India, April 8 -- The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the 2009 decision of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to increase the licence fees for outdoor advertisements such as hoardings and sky-signs by 10% every year.

The division bench of chief justice Shree Chandrashekhar and justice Gautam Akhand dismissed a petition filed by an advertising firm, Rushabh Outdoors, which had challenged the 2009 decision, claiming it violated their fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality) and 19 (right to a profession) of the Constitution of India.

The BMC had, in December 2009, increased the outdoor advertisement licence fees by 80%, with provision for 10% increase every subsequent year.

Rushabh Outdoors argued ...